University Class Artifacts

Análisis de los Determinantes Sociales que Influyen en la Prevalencia de la Diabetes Tipo II en la Comunidad Hispana en los Estados Unidos: Una Revisión de la Literatura desde una Perspectiva Socioecológica

Spanish 4190 Salud y la comunidad hispana en los Estados Unidos

I wrote a literature review for Spanish 4190, analyzing type 2 diabetes in U.S. Hispanic communities using the Social Ecological Model, ranging from the individual level to the macrosystem. The project strengthened my professional Spanish writing skills and deepened my understanding of how cultural factors, such as familismo, shape prevention, treatment, and communication. I compared two evidence-based programs: a bilingual, culturally adapted telemedicine program that achieved better A1C and blood pressure results than usual care, and a 10-week community health worker education program that improved diabetes knowledge, medication adherence, and self-care. Together, they show the importance of culturally tailored care for minority groups and show improved outcomes and patient confidence. These insights will allow me to enter the workplace more confident in my ability to communicate with Spanish-speaking communities and more knowledgeable about common health issues in the Hispanic population. Overall, this experience sharpened my ability to review research and use it to create or improve programs addressing health challenges while understanding and taking into account any cultural influences.

Online Spanish poster “Tranquilidad y Seguridad: GPS y Detección de Caídas para Seres Queridos con Alzheimer” during my internship with Agenda Alzheimer.

I made this informational poster because a patient in the center where I was doing my internship, who lived alone, didn’t arrive one morning and couldn’t be located quickly. My goal was to give caregivers practical options and peace of mind. The poster explains that wandering and falls are common in Alzheimer's; it also presents two GPS options at different price points. The poster also shows how the device's features can aid caregivers by providing them with location tracking, fall alerts, and/or an SOS button, depending on the device. This work strengthened my professional Spanish and my ability to turn urgent safety risks into clear, action-oriented guidance. I focused on clarity, cost awareness, and a supportive tone. These skills transfer directly to public-health work: creating bilingual educational resources for families, and partnering with community organizations to add solutions in place for patient safety and injury prevention.

I wrote a short Spanish essay analyzing Joaquín Sorolla’s paintings for a culture and literature class while I was in Spain. I visited Museo Nacional del Prado and saw Sorolla’s work in person. Noticing the light, movement, and everyday scenes helped me understand how art communicates family, work, and place. This experience strengthened my observation skills, vocabulary, and confidence in describing culture in Spanish and art. It also reminded me to slow down, ask what a scene might mean to the people in it, and respect different perspectives. As I prepare for healthcare and community work, I will use these habits to listen actively and practice cultural humility with patients and families in both Spanish and English. This artifact shows my growth in cultural analysis and communication.

I created a Spanish-language portfolio analyzing recent news articles about women in Spanish films. I summarized 3 different articles that discussed the following: an interview with a female director discussing her film on motherhood, a highly publicized sexual-harassment case that occurred in Spain while i was abroad, and coverage on how women’s voices were silenced during the Franco era. Reading across these pieces showed me how cinema and journalism shape whether women are seen, heard, and believed in Spanish society. This assignment made me more aware of the struggles women face in their lives, careers, across history, self-efficacy, support, and protection for women. Writing in Spanish strengthened my ability to synthesize sources clearly and communicate in a respectful tone. Going forward, I will apply these habits in healthcare and community work by listening closely and validating difficult experiences to all of my patients facing difficulties.

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I co-authored a chapter for our class book From Risk to Resilience in Health 4110 At-Risk Children and Families. Our goal was to share current, real-world solutions for complex children and family issues. My chapter with Sam Nassif was “Four Levels of Action: Supporting Families and Systems to Reduce Food Insecurity and Poor Nutrition,” explaining how families, schools/clinics, community groups, and public programs can work together to reduce food insecurity, and it includes local resources people can use right away. This project strengthened my teamwork and communication through extensive peer review, helping me give/receive clear feedback and keep a consistent voice that was written at a reading level for all to understand easily. Research I reviewed showed how food insecurity shapes child health through heavy reliance on processed foods at a young age and the importance of self efficacy and things like community gardens and the client choice model for food pantries. These insights carry directly into public-health and will help me when I need to use plain-language for community outreach, partnering with community organizations, and designing programs that remove barriers so families can access healthier options.

I created a health campaign for HLTH 3030 public health communication class which focused on HVAC technicians. I began with a short needs-assessment survey to learn what they struggle with on the job: staying hydrated, eating well without a microwave, and finding better snack and meal options on the road. Based on those results, I built a website with plain-language guidance: quick energy tips, hydration routines (including high-water-content fruit), smarter grab-and-go snacks, local restaurants with order-ahead pickup, veggie-forward meal-prep ideas, and a portable self-heating lunchbox. This artifact shows applied health communication and basic program planning: listening to the population, using data to shape messages tailored to my population and creating visually helpful materials to educate my population. I improved at survey design, reading small data sets, and creating convenient informational materials that busy workers could easily access. This experience will help me design realistic, equity-minded tools and advocate for healthier worksites in public health practice.